Pioneer Spotlight: John J. Perez ’99, Political Science

Meet John Perez, powerhouse immigration attorney and NFL agent.

As a high school student from Pompton Lakes, John aspired to be an attorney like his father and fellow Pioneer alum, John D. Perez ‘74. As he made his way through WP, he embraced the multitude of liberal arts offerings and considered archaeology, due in part to his childhood awe of Indiana Jones. He also contemplated earning his PhD to become a college professor. His field of study exploration ultimately led him back to his roots, and to his father’s footsteps, to study law.

John’s eagerness to become a solo practitioner, as well as his desire to help others, were the driving forces behind his career choice. Upon graduating from WP, John shadowed his father in his office while preparing for the LSATs and applying to law school. More than legal scholarship, he was drawn to the independence of being self-employed and controlling his own destiny. While the academic route to get to his purpose was circuitous, it allowed John to be open to all possibilities before choosing the path best suited for him.

While at WP, a great source of inspiration for John was a statistics professor who challenged him by suggesting he would have trouble excelling as a lawyer if he could not master the class. This reverse psychological strategy pushed John to channel his Will.Power. and push harder to succeed.

When John was in middle school, his cousin, who played football for Penn State, was being drafted to play pro football and needed an attorney. John’s father represented him, which ignited John’s passion, and that of his brother Bryan Perez ’01, for learning more about the sports industry. With the true grit of a WP Pioneer, John convinced his brother that “We know football. Let’s go after it.” In 2003, John and Bryan became sports agents and together, founded a boutique sports agency, Perez Sports. They watched reams of footage and sent an old-school recruiting letter to a football player at the small, Division III football program at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. This player became their first client to sign an NFL contract. They seek to scout ability amongst the scrappiest underdog players who are not always the most acknowledged. John and Bryan are two of only 23 registered NFL Players Association agents in the State of New Jersey.

Today, John, Bryan, and their father, John D., own Perez, Perez, & Perez P.C., an immigration law office in Newark, New Jersey. It is an accomplishment about which John beams with pride. John considers his parents heroes, and the family partnership allows him to contribute towards the family legacy. While humble about their practice, the work John and his family do as immigration attorneys allows people to obtain freedom they may not have otherwise had.

John’s advice for future WP graduates: “Keep grinding and enjoy the journey. It won’t always be easy. Count on your WP grit, and tough it out because it’s beautiful in the end.”

 

10/20/23